Helmets save lives

[muddy_hollow]

In the news today is an article on Liam Neesons wife Natasha Richardson being injured at Mount Tremblant in Canada last week.. She is now brain dead. The link to the article is below, but the net of it was that she was on a beginner green trail and crashed during a private lesson. She was not wearing a helmet and did not have any injuries until after returning to her room, where she started having headaches. Long story short, she is in a NYC hospital how on life support.

I am a converted Helmet guy now.... funny how kids do that to you. The story is very sad, but just adds to the fact helmets should be worn..... if not mandatory for ski school.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...farewells.html

Mud

[madhavok]

Story is sad, but this is also the wrong forum.

[Jester]

Why wrong forum?

[HowieT2]

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/200...helmet-debate/

[Dawn Patrol]

Why wrong forum?

I don't want to speak for a chimp with a gun, but if I had to guess, it's because this is the Sugarbush forum, and the story isn't Sugarbush related.

[Jester]

I hear you. But someone was just trying to point out a ski safety issue. Since Sugarbush is a ski resort and safety is important to the resort.... safety tips should be welcomed.

[Lostone]

Moved to Miscellaneous...

For the record, folks, don't be shy about putting things that are not directly related to any of the other rooms (Sugarbush, MRG, Valley, Site feedback) into this section. If people go to our top page, it is still visible to all, and they really should.


As to the original topic, I've sold three people on the idea of helmets, recently. I told them my head might not be worth much, but the replacement might be really expensive. Then I asked how much they were planning on paying for their replacement.

Helmets won't save you all the time. But earlier I heard of a child who fell and cracked their helmet. That is a helmet that really paid for itself. I hope never to have mine pay for itself.

[happygirl]

People die in car accidents all the time and yet, we don't put a helmet on when we get into our cars. I think helmets give people a false sense of security. Wearing a helmet doesn't make you invinsible.

[vonski]

People die in car accidents all the time and yet, we don't put a helmet on when we get into our cars. I think helmets give people a false sense of security. Wearing a helmet doesn't make you invinsible.

No, but we put on seatbelts! and race car drivers wear helmets as well as, Football players lacrosse, hockey players and down hill ski racers. Of course, there is always some false sense of security, but get real. They will prevent injuries and they will save lives. And when your in your car, chances are your not going to hit your head on some boiler plate type ice, while going through the parking lot. The prompt for this thread was a death on a hardpacked bunny hill. So, be happy without your helmet and start pricing your replacement.

[HowieT2]

That's a ridiculous argument. We are required to wear seatbelts in cars and many lives have been saved because of it. If you ride a motorcycle without a helmet you are insane.
Helmets won't prevent all injuries but they do prevent some. What is the downside to wearing a helmet? The only negatives I have heard are that they restrict peripheral vision and/ or hearing. I think that is completely without merit.

There are those who would argue that it is a matter of personal freedom. That's true until you have a serious brain injury for which Medicare and hence the taxpayer will be paying the cost of care.

[tomthumb]

True Story: A skier fell on a groomer after a "premature" binding release. Did a somersault, got up, put his skis back on, skied down to the lodge and decided to call it a day. While putting on his street clothes, he felt a pain in his neck. He walked down to the clinic and the doc decided he should go to the hospital to get checked out. Ambulance came, back boarded, c-collared and transported. The EMT asked the skier if he was wearing a helmet. His response: "I'm an expert skier, and have been skiing for 25 years without a helmet." The EMT responded: "Expert?, and now your on a backboard, in an ambulance on your way to the hospital!"

He ended up having fractured vertebrae in his neck. Not that a helmet would have necessarily prevented this injury, but it goes to show that even "expert" skiers can fall down and go BOOM. Helmets won't prevent some injuries, but they will prevent (or reduce) more injuries than they will cause.

WWW: Warm, Waterproof, Windproof. My goggles don't fog when I slide them up onto the helmet. I can see and hear just fine with a helmet on, and tend to focus more on what's in front of me than my peripheral vision.

[Hawk]

Howie, I don't get the medicare thing. Isn't long term disability covered by your insurance. I have insurace. When I get hurt it pays and not the taxpayers. I also have a friend that got hurt a while back. His insurace ran out and now he has tremendous dept. No taxpayers are paying for him. If there is some program out there please let me know.

Personally I started wearing one for the last two years. I will say that it is a personel choice that was made because my wife was so stongly for it. Her logic was "you mountain bike with a helmet. You Ski twice as fast and do not wear a helmet. Is that smart?" Well I couldn't argue with that logic so we made a deal. I do not particulaly like wearing it and would prefer to just wear my hat.

The long and the short of it for me is why should Government tell me what I should do? It should be a personel choice and a freedom that is very american and not a law to be inforced. The opinios of other more conservative people should not be impressed onto others. Personal Responcibility is what it is called. But that's just me......

[Strat]

Fresh national news: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/19/ski.safety/index.html

[ahm]

Once Gordy Howe was asked why he did not wear a helmet in the NHL but did wear a cup. He replied you can always get someone to do your thinking for you. As for helmets and skiing. It is a personal choice and let's keep it that way. The AMA claims they will not provide much safety when the skier is going over 30 mph. A good proportion of skiers are going over 30 mph. I know a lot of top skiers and international guides that do not wear helmets. Again, their personal choice. For me, I tried one once and didn't like it, but in certain situations I can see using one and hence although I left the original in the bar after my one day trial, I did retrieve it the next day for future use.

[happygirl]

Once Gordy Howe was asked why he did not wear a helmet in the NHL but did wear a cup. He replied you can always get someone to do your thinking for you. As for helmets and skiing. It is a personal choice and let's keep it that way. The AMA claims they will not provide much safety when the skier is going over 30 mph. A good proportion of skiers are going over 30 mph. I know a lot of top skiers and international guides that do not wear helmets. Again, their personal choice. For me, I tried one once and didn't like it, but in certain situations I can see using one and hence although I left the original in the bar after my one day trial, I did retrieve it the next day for future use.

I agree, I think its a personal choice. Some people think if they have a helmet its a license to be reckless. People that wear helmets usually don't hear me coming up beside them, which is not good either. But, its a free country and if some people feel better with a helmet thats right for them and I can respect that.